Throughout 2023, there have been many surprising celebrity breakups. The year seems to have a few more surprises in store. Deion Sanders and Tracy Edmonds have now also, unexpectedly called it quits on their relationship. As of this moment, it’s still a wonder why Sanders and Edmonds have called off their engagement after being together for over a decade. Nonetheless, as the story develops, here’s a view of the pair’s relationship timeline.
2012: Deion Sanders & Tracey Edmonds Meet
Deion Sanders and Tracey Edmonds, now both 56 years old, are accomplished veterans in their respective fields of sports and entertainment. Sanders, a former NFL player and head coach at the University Of Colorado Boulder, and Edmonds, a prominent executive producer in Hollywood. Their paths were unlikely to cross very often though but the overlap of sports and entertainment allowed them to frequent similar circles. In early 2012, Sanders attended the premiere of a movie Edmonds had produced. During the event, they got acquainted with each other, and that unlikely meeting was the catalyst of their eventual romance. Before the event ended that night, Sanders got a hold of Edmonds’ business card. Soon after, he reached out to her.
When Deion Sanders asked for Edmonds’ business card, it’s unclear if he did so already knowing he liked her. What is clear, however, is that he intended to have her work on a show he had an idea for. The two eventually met up to have breakfast and discuss Sanders’ ideas for the show that would end up becoming Deion’s Family Playbook. Subsequently, in 2021, Edmonds shared with PEOPLE, “I started off thinking I was just going to produce [the show]. But as I started working with Deion on the show, we grew quite fond of each other and ended up dating.”
2014 – 2015: Deion’s Family Playbook
The reality TV show aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network for three seasons from March 2014 to May 2015. While it was primarily focused on Deion Sanders, Tracey Edmonds also starred in the show. She had become an important part of Sanders’ life at the time, so it was only natural for her to appear in it. Audiences got to see glimpses of the couple’s relationship throughout the show’s three seasons. In addition to starring in Deion’s Family Playbook, Edmonds and Sanders are both credited as executive producers on the show.
2019: The Couple Get Engaged
Following the end of Deion’s Family Playbook, a couple of years went by, and the their relationship remained stable. They took things to the next level in February 2019 when they got engaged. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Edmonds’ caption read: “Happy Valentine’s Day Fam! Sending LOVE to MY LOVE/MY FIANCÉ @deionsanders! God is SO GOOD! We’re 8 years in, made it through the storms TOGETHER, and will be spending the rest of our lives TOGETHER! To all the couples out there... stay REAL with each other, LISTEN to each other, and MOST of all.. keep LOVE and GOD in your heart. When you do, you can make it through ANY storm! Spread LOVE and JOY on this day!”
2020 – 2023: Conflicting Schedules, Long-Distance Relationship & Perseverance
Through the pandemic and afterward, their love for each other remained intact. However, the pair’s conflicting schedules made it so they didn’t get to spend much time together. For the most part, they didn’t seem to mind, and graciously dealt with the implications. About their frequent separation, Sanders told PEOPLE, “It's not just a separation because you want to be separated, it's a separation because you are active and you are really influencing lives.”
December 2023: The End Of The Road
On Sunday, December 3, 2023, Tracey Edmonds announced that her engagement with Deion Sanders had been called off. Without a doubt, this is one of the most surprising breakups of the year as there were no signs of turmoil in the pair’s relationship. The announcement came out of left field, and audiences have been left wondering what exactly happened between the two.
Edmonds's Instagram post contained a long caption that reads as follows: “To EVERYONE who has been there for us, supported us, and shown us love...We have mutually decided that it is best for us to move forward in life AS FRIENDS and have made this decision with love in our hearts, respect for each other, and appreciation for the time we've shared together. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this transition. Thank you for being there for us ALL THESE YEARS! We love you and appreciate you SO MUCH!”
While Sanders did not make a post of his own, he responded in the comments of Edmonds’ post. “Love u Tracey and You've been a true blessing to me. I appreciate the times we've shared and they laughs we've had. You are an amazing woman and a tremendous mother. God bless u with every endeavor and every step u take. You are HER,” he wrote. There’s no bad blood, but it’s still a punch in the gut to onlookers.
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